Motte-and-bailey castles are the earliest known castles, first built by European lords in the 9th and 10th centuries as protection against the Vikings and as military bases. They were typically built of dirt and wood. The motte-and-bailey castle consisted of an earthen mound, or motte, made of rammed layers of soil. The motte, which was typically about 15 feet high though it could be anywhere from 10 to 100 feet high, was next to a bailey, or courtyard, containing a stables, a well, workshops, and often a chapel and a great hall. On top of the motte was a tower, usually made of wood, where the inhabitants of the castle would retreat to if the bailey fell.

Surrounding the entire motte-and-bailey would be a wooden palisade or wall, as well as a ditch or moat. The entrance gate often had a lifting bridge, drawbridge, or gate tower. Often there would be two baileys or two mottes or both.

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Ruins of a rare stone tower	The blueprint of Chateau Gisors	Sketch from an overhead view